"I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions." -- Stephen Covey
Whether we know it or not, the bills we pay and the things we see as "necessary" are largely a lifestyle choice. We're choosing to spend our hard won money on them. However, aside from our taxes, how many of our outgoings really have to be fixed?
We can go without cable TV if we choose to.
Most of us can make do without a car if we decided to.
We can find more cost effective places to get our groceries so our money can be put to use elsewhere.
We can buy less takeaway coffee.
These, and many more, are all choices available to us.
There are a lot of comforts we have come to expect as a basic need in our lives but they are, at their heart, still comforts. Many people around the world do without them.
Our basics in life are actually on a pretty short list. What we choose to add on is up to us but each of those choices may mean saying no, or pressing pause, on something else.
Whether we know it or not, we're prioritising. Our lifestyle is a direct reflection of how we prioritise these choices.
A Personal Example -- Travel
A personal example of how my own focus has shifted in recent years is the amount of travel I have done. Not too long ago I often travelled just once a year for a big holiday away. In the past few years this is now more like 4-6 visits abroad each year to various exciting destinations.
Friends will comment and joke about how often I am away. Colleagues I work with sometimes seem puzzled how I can travel so much to places that are on their one day I'll do that list.
The main reason this has happened is because I've prioritized travel and adventure more in my life. I've decided to exit the keeping up race and often make do with an older version of a phone, we keep our home fairly simply with basics but nothing too flashy and I shop more selectively.
Our year is structured around where we want to travel to (and it's a long wish list). While others around me talk wistfully about going on safari in the Masai Mara one day or traveling around Asia, I'm busy living the reality of the trips or making firm plans to go.
This revised approach to life has meant I have had my share of pinch myself moments and experiences. Moments that no amount of storytelling and photos will really do justice.
I've realized I personally value experiences over stuff and try to live life accordingly. I'm still a consumer, I still like nice stuff, but I'm more selective in what I consume. And for me, travel comes close to the top of the consuming priority list.
A Different Path
If we view life through this altered lens, our own world can start to take on a very different look.
Aspirations that seemed completely out of reach drift into grabbing distance.
We can decide that 30-year mortgages and 5-year finance deals on new cars are not for us. Instead we can enjoy the freedom of being able to pick up, when the mood takes us, for adventures and travel whilst renting/living modestly along the way.
We can cut back on spend, live off one income as a couple for a while and give that business idea a go we've been thinking about. Maybe it'll take off, maybe not and we go back to the drawing board a little wiser.
We can explore a more minimalist existence. Getting rid of the excess in life to make room for what truly matters to us instead.
We can decide that the newest version of every bit of technology does not have to be in our hands the day it's released.
There are many ways. We need to find our own fit.
Shape Your Lifestyle to Internal Standards
Our goals, ambitions and wants in life are ours first and foremost. What does this mean in practice?
It means:
- We decide where our priorities lie in life.
- We set, and should be prepared to live by, our own standards in life.
With this in mind, we need to make sure the life we are living is the life we really want to be living. We need to make sure we're on a path we're happy to walk.
Follow Your Own Inner Compass
The path we choose and decisions we make in life are our responsibility. There are others to consider along the way but unless we set a course with our target destination in mind we are unlikely to get there.
Set your own personal compass for a direction of travel you wish to travel, your own north. Prioritize your choices to support your goals along the way. Live this precious life well.
Carl is the proud owner of Frictionless Living which is focused on helping readers live a simpler and more personally satisfying life. He is also the author of Need Less, Live More, A Short Guide to Living Well and 22 Ways to Simpler Living.